Ansible does not appear to be loading the ansible_python_interpreter=/usr/bin/python3 variable from the inventory file

Question

When I set the value for ansible_python_interpreter for a host to /usr/bin/python3 ansible-playbook still seems to be using /usr/bin/python which points to python2.7 I get this from the -vvv where the output says

Using module file /usr/lib/python2.7/site-packages/ansible/modules/cloud/vmware/vmware_guest.py

I put in a debug in my yml file that was to output the variable and it returns:

"ansible_python_interpreter": "/usr/bin/python3"
ansible --version
ansible 2.8.2
 config file = /ansible/automation/ansible.cfg
 configured module search path = ['/root/.ansible/plugins/modules', 
 '/usr/share/ansible/plugins/modules']
ansible python module location = /usr/local/lib/python3.6/site- 
packages/ansible
 executable location = /usr/local/bin/ansible
 python version = 3.6.8 (default, Apr 25 2019, 21:02:35) [GCC 4.8.5 
20150623 (Red Hat 4.8.5-36)]

I have shifted the location in the inventory file to be the first variable and I added it as a group variable but no joy.

When I ran the ansible-playbook command with the -e ansible_python_interpreter=/usr/bin/python3 the script ran correctly

Inventory file

[control] <REDACTED HOST NAME> ansible_connection=local ansible_python_interpreter=/usr/bin/python3

yml excerpt

---
 - hosts: control
 gather_facts: false
 tasks:
 - name: Debug a variable
 debug:
 var: ansible_python_intrepreter
 - name: Clone a virtual machine from Windows template and customize
 vmware_guest:
 hostname: "{{ hostname }}"
 username: "{{ username }}"
 password: "{{ password }}"
 validate_certs: no
 datacenter: some-datacenter
 cluster: some-cluster
 folder: "some-folder"
 name: some-host
 template: some-template
 datastore: "some-datastore"
 networks:
 - name: some-network-name
 ip: x.x.x.x
 netmask: 255.255.255.0
 gateway: x.x.x.x
 mac: aa:bb:dd:aa:00:14
 domain: domain.com
 dns_servers:
 - x.x.x.x
 - x.x.x.x

When the process runs I get this error "Failed to import the required Python library (requests) on Python /usr/bin/python2"

Answer 1

The variables must be in the same line as the host.

[control]
REDACTED_HOST_NAME ansible_connection=local ansible_python_interpreter=/usr/bin/python3

It is more convenient to use the group_vars

[control]
REDACTED_HOST_NAME
[control:vars]
ansible_connection=local
ansible_python_interpreter=/usr/bin/python3

With the hosts

localhost
[control]
REDACTED_HOST_NAME
[control:vars]
ansible_connection=local
ansible_python_interpreter=/usr/bin/python3

the play

- hosts: localhost
 gather_facts: no
 tasks:
 - debug:
 msg: "{{ hostvars['REDACTED_HOST_NAME'].ansible_python_interpreter }}"

gives

ok: [localhost] => {
 "msg": "/usr/bin/python3"
}

, but with the hosts below

localhost
[control]
REDACTED_HOST_NAME ansible_connection=local
ansible_python_interpreter=/usr/bin/python3

the same play fails

'ansible.vars.hostvars.HostVarsVars object' has no attribute 'ansible_python_interpreter'

• Andrew Madsen: The variables were on one line. For some reason the second variable dropped to the second line when I was putting it into the post. The debug does return as expected it is the rest of the yml that reverts back to python2. I just ran the ansible-playbook command by calling it explicitly from /usr/local/bin and the activity finished successfully. The "which ansible-playbook" command claims it is located in /usr/local/bin so it should be running python3.6. I ran ansible-playbook --version and it returned using python2.7 but if I ran /usr/local/bin/ansible-playbook it returns python3.6